Polymeric materials have many applications in packaging structures. They are used as films, sheets, lidstock, pouches, tubes and bags. These polymeric materials may be employed as a single layer or one or more layers in a structure. Unfortunately, there are countless polymeric materials available. Furthermore, resin suppliers frequently have a tendency to claim many more applications for a product than the product is actually suitable for. In addition, in view of the specialized applications and processing problems that are encountered despite the suppliers claims, one skilled in the art can not tell whether a particular resin will be suitable for an application unless tested. However, for various reasons there are frequently drawbacks to the use of many of these polymeric materials. For example, ethylene vinyl alcohol is an excellent oxygen barrier material for use in packaging food products. However, this polymeric material can be affected by moisture that is present in the atmosphere or the packaged product. As a result, it is frequently found that some polymeric materials are better for certain applications than others.
One area where there is a need for suitable resins in film applications is in the area of heat shrinkable films. Heat shrinkable polymeric films are commonly used in packaging meats, particularly primal meat cuts and other large pieces of meat or poultry. While this description will detail the usage of films for packaging meat and meat by-products, it will be understood that these films are also suitable for packaging a myriad of other products, both including food products and non-food products.
Some of the films embodying the present invention are intended to be used by meat or poultry packers in the form of heat shrinkable bags with one opened end, which bags are closed and sealed after insertion of the meat or poultry. After the product is inserted, air is usually evacuated from the package and the open end of the bag is closed. Suitable methods of closing the bag include heat sealing, metal clips, adhesives etc. Heat is applied to the bag once sealing is completed to initiate shrinkage of the bag about the meat.
In subsequent processing of the meat, the bag may be opened and the meat removed for further cutting of the meat into user cuts, for example, for retail cuts or for institutional use.
Suitable shrink bags must satisfy a number of criteria. Many bag users seek a bag that is capable of surviving the physical process of filling, evacuating, sealing and heat shrinking. For example, during the shrinking process great stress can be placed on the film by the sharp edges of bone in the meat or poultry. The bag must also have sufficient strength to survive the material handling involved in moving the large cuts of meat or poultry, which may weigh twenty-five pounds or less, along the distribution system.
Because many food products including meat deteriorate in the presence of oxygen and/or water, it is desirable that the bags have a barrier to prevent the infusion of deleterious gases and/or the loss or addition of moisture.
Conventional packaging for many products has frequently been made of multiple layer films having at least three layers. These multiple layer films are usually provided with at least one core layer of either an oxygen barrier material such as a vinylidene chloride copolymer, ethylene vinyl alcohol, a nylon or a metal foil preferably aluminum. Heat shrinkable meat bags, for example, have generally used vinylidene chloride copolymers. The copolymer of the vinylidene chloride may, for example, be a copolymer with vinyl chloride or methyl acrylate. Collapsible dispensing tubes have generally used one or more foil layers. The foil layers in addition to supplying an oxygen barrier also provide the dispensing tube with "deadfold", i.e., the property of a collapsible dispensing tube when squeezed to remain in the squeezed position without bouncing back.
Outer layers of films used in packaging food products can be any suitable polymeric material such as linear low density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, ionomers including sodium and zinc ionomers, such as Surlyn.RTM.. In conventional shrink bags, the outer layers are generally linear low density polyethylene or blends thereof. Suitable outer layers for meat bags are taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,960 to Newsome, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,107 to Tse et al. commonly assigned to American National Can discloses novel films and processes for making them. The films are characterized by having first and second layers whose compositions have a significant fraction of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). A third layer of vinylidene chloride copolymer (VDC-CP) is disposed between the first and second layers. The composition of at least one of the first and second layers is a blend of 10% by weight to 90% by weight linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and 90% to 10% EVA. These polymeric films are useful as heat shrinkable polymeric films. The film may be unoriented or oriented. Oriented films may be optionally cross-linked.
While conventional films have been suitable for many applications, it has been found that there is a need for films that are stronger and more easily processed than conventional films. In meat bags, there is a need for films and bags that have superior toughness and sealability and the ability to undergo cross-linking without undue deterioration. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved structures, including single and multi-layer films, sheets, lidstock, pouches, tubes and bags. In particular, structures for use in shrink bags wherein the shrink bags are capable of withstanding production stresses and the shrink process.